Ignorance is Bliss
by Takachu
Summary: What if Juudai stayed to help Manjyoume before the match? ManJuu. Shounen ai. Oneshot.


**Ignorance is Bliss  
**By: JW  
Pairing: ManJuu  
Warning: shounen ai

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Summary: "What if" Juudai stayed to help Manjyoume before the match?

AN: This is the match from somewhere in the first season, between Juudai and Manjyoume. JW does not recollect too much about it and therefore is unable to supply you with more details. It's that one duel with Manjyoume brothers bitching on him... Don't remember exactly what he had been saying in the episode and there is no single correct way to translate it anyway so... Enjoy.

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Juudai stood, back to the wall, right outside of the washroom in which his opponent looked as if he were having a mental breakdown - well, maybe that was exactly what was happening. He listened to the continuous cursing and decided it better to leave the other alone. Everyone had their own problems to deal with and Manjyoume should learn to deal with his own. Juudai would show him that he wouldn't go easy on him no matter what the conditions were.

He started walking away and heard a choking sob come from the washroom. Hesitantly, he turned back to the direction of the doorway and stared at it, until he heard another such sound. Juudai mentally cursed. He couldn't just leave Manjyoume like this. He wanted to defeat Manjyoume when he was trying his hardest, not when he was acting this way. Sighing, he walked back to the doorway and looked inside the room, at Manjyoume's form, neatly collapsed by the sink. He slowly and quietly walked in and stopped behind his opponent. "Manjyoume..."

The ex-obelisk student immediately turned around to look at the intruder with a glare on his face, alarmed. "What do you want Juudai?!" he exclaimed, denying the face that Juudai had seen any of that. "Leave me alone!" He noticed he had used the other boy's name so he then added, "You dropout boy!"

Juudai's eyes softened. Manjyoume usually acted this way... so was it always just a cover-up? What exactly did his brothers do to him to make him this way? "Manjyoume..." he began again, but was cut off.

"It's thunder! Leave me alone, dropout!" He didn't notice that his cheeks were still moist from crying. His eyes suddenly widened as he felt Juudai's warm hand wiping away a couple of tears on his left cheek. He immediately grabbed the osiris's wrist and held the hand away from his face, alert. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Manjyoume. I don't care how you act... You're still my friend and I'm concerned for you..."

"Idiot! Dropout! Osiris! I'm not your friend. There's nothing to be concerned for! When I beat you in this duel, you'll be sorry you ever came to this academy!" Manjyoume yelled at him. "And I don't need any pity from anyone!"

"I'm not giving you pity! The least you can do is listen to what I have to say for once!" Juudai yelled back.

"As if a drop-out like you will have anything to say that I need to hear! Get real! Go to your osiris friends! Go to Asuka! I don't care! Just leave me alone, drop-out boy!" He turned away as he felt tears start again. "Go away..."

Juudai's eyes were downcast. Manjyoume always insulted him and yelled at him. So why did it hurt so much now? Was it because he knew the other was hurting as well? He felt his own shoulders shake slightly. "Why...? Why do you hate me so much...? Did I do something bad to make you hate me? If I did, then I'm sorry! But I will never stop dueling!"

Manjyoume looked up at him again. Why _did_ he hate this boy? Because he beat Chronos? Because he beat_ him_? He realized he didn't really have a good reason. "Because... Because... You're the reason they did this to me! They want nothing to do with me if I lose to you! They want to disown me! And it's because of you! Why did you have to come in my way like this?!" He sent a strong glare at the osiris. "You don't know what it's like... To get disowned... spit at... by family." He didn't care anymore and just broke down crying in front of the dropout osiris. He didn't care when the other embraced him tightly in a comforting hug, now when he accepted the offered comfort. He didn't care when he turned to face the dropout boy and leaned up to close the distance between their lips. He didn't care when Juudai kindly accepted the kiss, while he pinned the boy down to the floor beneath them.

Finally breaking the needy kiss, Manjyoume stared into Juudai's confused eyes, his own filled with need and desire. Juudai just looked at him as if he would be willing to do anything if it made the other happy. It brought Manjyoume back to his senses and he sat back up and got off of Juudai's body. He couldn't do _that_ to the boy who didn't even know what a boyfriend or girlfriend was. "Aa... sorry," he apologized, sounding annoyed.

Juudai sat up slowly and turned to look at him. "It's okay. Do whatever you need. I don't mind," he said very kindly, yet naively.

Manjyoume shook his head no. "You don't even understand what that is. How could you just say that when you don't even know what it means?" He chuckled. "Juudai really is an idiot then after all... I was right..."

Juudai didn't understand. Manjyoume was right. But he did know one thing. "It's okay... because... if it makes Manjyoume happy, then it will always be okay. Because I don't want you upset like that. I'm not an idiot for _that_ then, am I...?"

"Idiot!" Manjyoume interrupted him. "If you knew what it meant you would not say that! But when you put it that way, how can I refuse?! Even though you will be haunted for the rest of your life by the fact that you gave your virginity away due to pity, naiveté, being super kind that way--!" He was cut off.

"Virgi--... what's that?" Juudai asked, looking very perplexed now.

Manjyoume stared at him for one full minute. This was exactly what he meant. He couldn't help himself but smile now. "Don't worry about that. Nothing you need to know of yet." He let his hand fall on top of Juudai's head, gently patting his messed up hair back into place. "Thanks... Juudai."

Juudai beamed up at him. "So we're friends?!"

Manjyoume stared down at him uncertainly. After a moment, he answered. "Yeah... we're friends."

END


End file.
